Brentford street named as "most hostile"

15 December 2017

A recently released report by the London Assembly Transport Committee names the A4 in Brentford as the “most striking example of a hostile street”.

Whilst preparing the report the committee members visited various streets in Outer London, including the A4 in Brentford. They found that “busy junctions in outer London can feel like hostile places, dangerous to people travelling on foot or by bike”.

In her summary to the report, Caroline Russell, wrote “The most striking example of a hostile street we saw was near Brentford, where primary schools are straddled by the A4 and M4 flyover. We walked the route with parents and children, who showed us how difficult it was for them to get to school. They were worried about fast-moving traffic, high levels of pollution, and getting stuck in the middle of the busy road waiting for ages for a green light to cross.”

Hounslow Green Party has been calling for improvements on the Brentford stretch of the A4 for over two years. Victoria George, Brentford Green Party’s representative, says, “We are pleased that the London Assembly are taking notice. Being home to one of outer London's least people-friendly streets is not something to be proud of. We need our council to put pressure on TFL to improve this dangerous and polluted road sooner rather than later.'”

The report recommends changing the culture at TfL to stop prioritising motor traffic including reviewing speed limits on all roads to see if 20mph may be relevant, because fast moving traffic is much more dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians than slow moving traffic.

The Mayor has said that he will prioritise walking, cycling and public transport when making decisions about London’s streets. This is part of his Healthy Streets approach, launched in February 2017, which looks to improve London’s health by designing physical activity back into everyday lives.